Sheet pile interlocking device



` H. H. STURDY Filed Novqzs, 1940 1r:

SHEET-PILE INTERLOCK/ING DEVICE March 1o, 1942.

INVENTOR Patented Mar. 10, 1942 SHEET PILE INTERLOCKING DEVICE l HowardH. Sturdy, Newport News, Va., assignor to Dravo Corporation, acorporation of Penn- Sylvania I `Application November 28, 1940, SerialNo. 367,562 (c1. en -60) 3 Claims.

This invention relates to the setting of interlockedsheet piling; andconsists in an instrument foreffecting the interlock, or, in theparlance of `the industry, threading a pile that is about to be set uponthe next adjacent and already` set pile. The object in View is theprovision of an instrument of the character indicated thatshall besimple and rugged in structure, of relatively light weight, easilymanipulated and appliediaifording speedy and accurate assembly ofpilewith pile, and such instructure as to prevent error. In theaccompanying drawing, Fig. I is a view in side elevation of theinstrument of the invention; and in this ligure two lengths of pilingare fragmentarily `shown-one may be understood to be a pile already set,and upon it the instrument rests; the other, a pile in,course ofapproach, guided by the instrument, to assembly with the pile already`set. Fig. II is a View in horizontal section, on the plane indicated atII-II, Fig- I; and in this ligure the instrument itself is shown in planfrom above. Fig. III is a View in end elevation of the` instrumentalone; the line of sight is indicated by the arrows III, III, Fig II.

iSteel piling has become standardized in shape. Each element, eachindividual pile is essentially arolled steel channel whose marginalflanges have been developed for the special service and brought to theasymmetrical bifurcated shape for interlocking pile with pile,assufticiently illustrated in Fig. II.

The instrument consists of a guide-block` I mounted between positioningplates 2 and 3 by which the block is brought to and maintained inoperative position, together with an auxiliary guide-plate 4 that isconveniently mounted upon one of the positioning platesupon the plate 3.

The guide-block I is essentially a block with tapering gullet that,mounted on the pile already set, stands in vertical position, to guidethe descending pile to interengagement with the pile already set.Advantageously the taper is double, from the two ends to the middle,`andso the block is adapted by inversion to serve double use. The block isconvenientlyformed, as the drawings indicate, of a piece (itmay be threeinches long) cut from one edge of a length of pile. The thumb of thebifurcated pile margin has been cut away; the hooked finger has beenretained; and from the two ends of the block the surface between hasbeen beveled away, as indicated at I0, Figs, II and III, to the medialnarrowest point II. At this point the original contour has not beensubstantially altered, and in the assembly the contour at this point isin vertical alignment with that ofthe already set pile, upon `which theinstrument is supported. In forming the block I from a length of pile,so much of the Web is retained as to aord a stem I2 for secure settingbetween the positioning plates 2 and 3.

` The positioning plates 2 and 3 are shaped to conformity to the stemportion I2 of the guideblock, and they are rigidly secured (convenientlyby Welding) to the opposite faces of the guideblock. In making thisassembly sufficient clearance (say of one eighth of an inch) isprovided, that the instrument may readily be applied to a pile whoseedge may have been burred in sawing. The plate 2 is at the edge 20shaped to conformity to the curved iinger ofthe guide-block I; the`plate 3 extends to the plane on which the thumb of block I has been cutaway, and at that point the plate 3 is bent and it extends thence in aplane that is perpendicular to the `application is made the two platesshall take over the opposite surfaces of the length of piling already inplace. The curved edge of plate 2 then engages the correspondingly`shaped edge of the pile, and so the instrument is brought accurately toposition, with the block seated upon the upper edge of the piling, andis adequately restrained from displacement horizontally in either of twodirections. The block shown in the drawing is, as has been explained,doubly tapered, and so is adapted `for inversion; and, accordingly, theplates 2 and 3 extend in both directions, longitudinally of block I. Theplates may, for example, be, both of them, 15 inches long; they arealigned face to face in the assembly; and the 3-inch block may becarried between them, at the midway point in their length. The extension3D of plate 3 is advantageously provided with a hand-grip,` as by thecutting away of the web to leave a marginal bar 3 I.

The guide-plate 4 is, in this invertible instrument, provided with twoalternately serving guide faces. It consists of a length of rolledangle, notched medially in one iiange and bent to the obtusely angularshape shown in elevation, Fig. III. The so shaped angle is secured(conveniently by welding) to the face of extension 30. The peak 40 oftheobtuse angle is `centered at the mid point in the length of theinstrument, and from that peak the faces of the plate recedesymmetrically, in directions away from block I toward the upper andlower edges of the' extension 30 of plate 3. The peak 40 of theguide-plate 4 is spaced from the block I a suflicient distance to allowan applied length of pile to come snugly to the position of assemblyshown in Fig. II. The width of the flange of the angle 4 that affordsthe guiding faces may be 3 inches.

It will be found convenient to secure in the handle of the instrumentalength 5 of line that at its free end carries a pin 6. The pin, when theinstrument is placed in position on a pile already set, is to be thrustinto a hole a such as is usually formed in a pile near its upper end,for the attachment of lifting machinery. By such anchorage theinstrument may be held when convenient, or when by chance it mightotherwise fall to the ground.

In operation, it may be understood that a pile B is to be applied to analready set pile A. A man, commonly called the pile-setter or top man isperched at the top of the last pile set-the pile A. He takes theinstrument of the invention (it weighs only 22 pounds) and places it inthe position shown in the drawing. The block I rests upon the upper edgeof pile A; the plates 2 and 3 secure it against lateral displacement;the engagement of the hooked edge of plate 2 with the rounded margin ofpile A secures it against displacement in the third dimension (that is,in the direction of the length of the wall that is being built). Thepile B, ordinarily hung from and swung by a crane, is brought toapproximate position from above. The pile-setter grasps it as it slowlydescends, Orients it, brings its lower corner to bearing upon theupwardly flaring face of plate 4, and draws it to abutment upon the faceof extension 30. In its continued descent the pile B then is guided, thethumby of its margin enters the tapering gullet of block I, and it`comes precisely to the position indicated in Fig. II. So positioned, andcontinuing its descent, it makes the desired interlock with pile A, andso continues as itis lowered and eventually driven to place.

When pile B has been set, a next ensuingA pile must in turn be broughtto place; but it will be remarked that the margin of pile B will befound in oppositely disposed position, as is indicated at b, Fig. II.The pile-setter then, advancing to the new point of attack, inverts hisinstrument, and then, placing it as before, brings it to operativeassembly on this oppositely disposed pile margin--and so on, as the workprogresses.

It has been found in the use of this instrument that thetime required toeffect the interlocking of succeeding piles is notably reduced. Theoperation of interlocking may be carried forward with safety (theinstrument protects the pile-setter from the swing of the pile underwind) and the operation may be carried forward with relative ease, evenin a wind. It is impossible to place the instrument upon a pile wrongend up; and, accordingly, delays and defects due to carelessness andinexperience are guarded against. In case the pile B becomes bound, sothat it will not continue freely in its descent in interengagement withpile A, the instrument may be readily removed, simply by raising pile Bwith the bound instrument through an f interval of six inches, and thengiving the instrument a slight .turnmanuallv It will then come freelyaway from pile B.

I claim as my invention:

1. A threading instrument, for use in the assembling of sheet-metalpiling, including a block 2. A threading instrument, for use in theassembling of sheet-metal piling, consisting of a section cut from theedge of a length of piling and beveled upon its interlocking surface tothe form of a block with tapering gullet and prolonged stem, positioningplates shaped to and integrated with the block and the stem thereof andextending longitudinally beyond the ends of the block, one of saidplates being provided with an angular extension, and a guide plate setin angular position upon said extension and forming with the extension aguide for bringing a pile descending vfrom above to position and toentrance into the gullet in said block.

3. A threading instrument for use in the assembling of sheet-metalpiling, including a guide'- block with opposite square ends and a doublytapered gullet extending longitudinally between its ends, the blockadapted to rest by either of its opposite ends upon the upper end of alength of piling already in place with its gullet extending vertically,and positioning plates between which the guide block is mounted, thepositioning plates extending in bothvdirections beyond the ends of theguide-block, one of said positioning plates being provided with'apile-guiding extension.

HOWARD H. STURDY.

